The A to Z of Tinnitus Remedies
Tinnitus symptoms are continuous ear ringing, buzzing or hissing in the inner ear that only the tinnitus sufferer can hear. Tinnitus sufferers may experience ringing in the ears all day, or it may come and go in phases. Tinnitus noises may also vary in pitch and volume, depending on the amount of inner ear damage to the cochlea, a network inside the ear that is crucial for good hearing. While there is no long-term cure for tinnitus, experts have agreed that certain vitamins can be beneficial for alleviating the effects of hearing loss and tinnitus.
Below is a list of the 4 best vitamins for tinnitus relief:
Vitamin A
The cochlea of the inner ear stores large amounts of vitamin A, and relies on sufficient stores in order to receive and interpret sound efficiently, according to Dr. George E. Shambaugh Jr, author of “Healing with Vitamins.” In his book, Dr. Shambaugh recommends vitamin A, in conjunction with vitamin E, as an effective tinnitus treatment. Good sources of vitamin A are orange fruits and vegetables, such as cantaloupe, yams, carrots and pumpkin. Tuna and spinach are also high in vitamin A.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is essential for a healthy nervous system. Vitamin B12 affects the way we touch, taste, see and hear, so it is not surprising that vitamin B12 deficiency leads to symptoms such as altered taste perception, visual disturbances, numbness or tingling, and chronic tinnitus. One Tel Aviv study, which focused on Israeli servicemen with tinnitus, found a high correlation between symptoms of tinnitus and vitamin B12 deficiency. Vitamin B12 occurs naturally in lean meats, fish, eggs and dairy products.
Magnesium
Magnesium is another essential vitamin, which is included in many tinnitus remedies. Nutritionists believe that a magnesium deficiency corrupts the ability of the cochlea to function properly by constricting vessels that lead to the inner ear. Magnesium occurs naturally in food sources such as brown rice, bananas, beans and oats.
Zinc
Zinc is another nutrient that is associated with tinnitus and hearing loss. A study featured in Otology and Neurotology determined that low levels of zinc may be a cause of tinnitus. The University of Michigan Health System reported in 1985 that 25% of tinnitus sufferers who had low zinc levels noticed a marked reduction in tinnitus symptoms when they increased their zinc intake. Foods that are highest in zinc include oysters, wheat germ, veal liver and sesame seeds.
Read more about tinnitus treatment and prevention:
5 Mistakes Tinnitus Sufferers Make
Gingko Biloba as a Treatment for Tinnitus
Stop that Ringing in your Ears: Get Tinnitus Treatment Now
Top 5 Noise Cancelling Headphones
Sources:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/261616-vitamins-for-ringing-ears/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8639287
http://www.ehow.com/about_5468633_vitamins-tinnitus-relief.html
http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/zinc.php
KT Tunstall joins the ranks of celebrities with noise-induced hearing loss
The 35-year-old award-winning singer/songwriter revealed to reporters she has been experiencing tinnitus symptoms for the past 3 years, symptoms she describes as “really frightening.”
It began when she attended a Spice Girls concert in 2008. Tunstall’s notoriety as an A-list pop singer earned her top notch front row seats to the famed Spice Girls reunion. Unfortunately, being close to the stage also means being right in front of giant speakers, blasting out deafening decibels of noise. Following the concert, Tunstall began to hear a constant high-pitch whining noise in her left ear, a sound which is typically associated with tinnitus hearing damage.
At first, she hoped the ear buzzing would go away in a few days. “I didn’t know what it was and at first just hoped it would go away, but it didn’t and it started to drive me mad,” she said.
The relentless ringing in her ears began to interfere with Tunstall’s professional life. As a musician, Tunstall is expected to recognize variances in musical tones and pitches, a talent which is severely hampered by even minor hearing problems. Understanding that there is no long-term cure for tinnitus, she has learned to adjust to the background ear noise, hoping that it does not get louder.
Stop that Ringing in your Ears: Get Tinnitus Treatment Now
KT is no stranger to hearing disorders; she has a young brother, Daniel, who was born deaf. She witnessed the challenges her brother faced in dealing with his disability and eventually overcoming it.
Tinnitus symptoms include constant ringing sounds in the ears which are only heard by the tinnitus sufferer, and are not related to any actual outside noise. When asked to describe their tinnitus sounds, patients refer to them as buzzing, ringing, whooshing, clicking, screaming or hissing sounds. Duration, pitch and volume can vary by severity. Tinnitus causes are old age, noise-induced hearing loss, chronic ear infections, drug interaction and puncturing of the ear drum.
Tinnitus: Why am I More Likely to Suffer Ringing Ears than Others?
Today, KT Tunstall is one of many celebrities who support the Hear the World campaign. The Phonak-funded global initiative offers updated news on tinnitus treatments, hearing loss prevention and a wealth of multimedia events aimed at raising tinnitus and hearing loss awareness. Famous singer/photographer Bryan Adams has captured the images of celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Josh Groban, Sting, Jude Law and Amy Winehouse on film, posing in the characteristic hand-to-ear Hear the World pose.
Learn more about tinnitus and hearing loss:
Treatments for Severe Hearing Loss
Tinnitus Retraining Therapy: the Sounds of Silence
Sources:
http://music.uk.msn.com/news/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=157711141
Tinnitus and hearing loss are on the rise, and researchers are attempting to prove that stress is one cause of partial deafness, high to low frequency hearing loss and tinnitus.
Scientists agree that many of the symptoms of tinnitus, the characteristic buzzing or high pitch ringing noise in the ears, are often age-related or a result of overexposure to dangerously high noise decibels. New research has been presented that secondhand smoke (passive smoking) might also be a cause for tinnitus, hearing loss and ear infections among children. Scientists concede that half of all cases of hearing impairment are preventable.
Another theory which some scientists believe is that stress, the common denominator in all illness, might also play a factor in causing hearing loss and tinnitus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a report stating that 80% of all individuals who have a hearing impairment live in low-income to middle-income living areas in developing countries. Researchers conducted a study to prove a link between stress levels in less affluent countries and escalating cases of hearing-related disorders such as tinnitus.
- Researchers in Sweden conducted a 120-question survey designed to determine the impact of stress on one’s health.
- Participants answered questions about their physical and psychosocial work environment, home environment, physical health and mental health.
- Participants were also questioned about the symptoms of tinnitus, such as continuous ringing in the ears, and their ability to hear and carry out conversations.
- Scientists found a direct correlation between stress and hearing ability; the participants who suffered the most stress were more likely to become ill, have difficulty sleeping and suffer hearing-related illnesses such as partial deafness and tinnitus.
- Women were just as likely to suffer from stress-induced hearing loss as men.
- Scientists also noted a direct correlation between high stress and lower tolerance to infections, another possible cause of tinnitus.
Read Finding Tranquility with Tinnitus: Relax the Mind
If you think you might be suffering from tinnitus or any other hearing impairment, a visit to an audiologist or ENT is necessary in order to prevent any further damage.
For more information about preventing tinnitus and hearing loss, read:
Gear Up to Prevent Hearing Loss: Five Things you Should Buy Now
Sources:
March 2011- In New Zealand, researchers have discovered a new drug which may restore hearing to individuals who suffered ear damage caused by loud noise.
While there is no official cure to date for hearing loss, and there are no approved methods for repairing damage done to the inner ear as a result of exposure to dangerously loud noise decibels, New Zealand scientists have been testing a drug which they hope will reduce some of the symptoms of noise-related ear damage such as hearing loss and tinnitus.
Hearing loss touches people of all ages
While it’s true that millions of senior citizens suffer from hearing loss, tinnitus and other hearing-related diseases, ear damage is not exclusive to the elderly. Noise pollution has risen dangerously above nationally accepted standards, and the consequences are evident in individuals from all walks of life and all ages. These days we expose ourselves to constant loud noises produced by cellphones with Bluetooth headsets, iPod in-ear earbuds, continuous blaring of the television, hand-held video game devices and outside construction building sites.
As a result, hearing loss patients are younger than ever before; 1 in 5 teenagers suffer some sort of hearing loss, including symptoms of tinnitus, which is described as a loud hissing, buzzing or whooshing sound in one or both ears, irrelevant to outside noises.
For more info, read Hearing Loss in the Younger Generation.
The ADAC hearing experiment
- The drug, called ADAC (adenosine amine congener), revitalizes adenosine receptors which are located in the cochlea cells of the inner ear and are responsible for hearing.
- Test rats were exposed to narrow-band noise for several hours, causing them significant hearing loss and damage to their cochlear tissue; they were then given either an injection of ADAC or a placebo.
- The rats’ hearing was tested by scientists before and after the noise exposure, using ABR (auditory brainstem response). Also, scientists were able to determine the number of cochlear cells which were destroyed following the ear damage.
- Results concluded that early treatment is essential for maximum benefits from the ADAC drug; more hearing loss was restored among the rats who received the drug injection if treatment was administered during the first 6 hours following noise exposure. Conversely, treatment given after a 24 hour window was significantly less effective.
- Scientists deducted that the rats who had the greatest amount of their hearing restored were the ones who received immediate and multiple treatments for 5 consecutive days following ear damage.
Source:
The Journal of Noise & Health (February 2008) discusses a study done by Vishakha W. Rawool and Lynda A. Colligon-Wayne. Rawool and Wayne distributed a survey among college students to determine their life styles and beliefs regarding exposure to loud noises.
The survey was distributed to 40 male college students and 198 female college students.
Some of the findings of this study were as follows:
- Twenty-nine percent of these students reported that they worked in noisy environments. Only 15% of these used hearing protection.
- About 50% of the students agreed that when they were using personal music devices, that people next to them could hear their music.
- Over 75% of students believed that they were not at risk for losing their hearing until later on in life.
- About 68% of the students have had ringing in their ears, which is symptomatic of tinnitus.
Based on the findings of this study, it was concluded that educating students in schools would likely motivate students to use hearing protection when exposed to loud noises, and to lower the volume on their personal music devices.
Tinnitus can emerge in any of the four sections of the hearing mechanism: the outer, middle and the inner ear, and the brain. Some tinnitus or head noise is normal for all individuals, so if one is placed in a sound proof booth, or is wearing very effective earplugs, he or she will become aware of these sounds. Tinnitus of course works on a different level of volume, which is the reason why it is so particularly bothersome. It is nearly impossible to drown out and/or ignore and it gets even louder when things quiet down.
The outer ear is not often the culprit in emergent tinnitus but some conditions are associated with this section of the ear and the buzzing symptoms. The two most common causes of the tinnitus symptoms due to outer ear problems are:
1) A build-up of earwax, or cerumen, in the ear canal which may irritate the hearing mechanisms
2) A narrowing or poorly shaped ear canal, which may affect the perception of sound
There are methods to deal with both of these types of causes making outer-ear tinnitus one of the most physically treatable. The middle ear, however, can harbor the roots of a much more complex tinnitus symptomatology, some of which may require the attention of your health care provider and possibly even further steps in terms of treatment, surgery not being entirely out of question. In most cases all of these causes may be resolved with adequate medical attention.
The Middle Ear Tinnitus Causes
1. Serous otitis media with fluid in the middle ear:
Otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear, or middle ear infection , it occurs in the area between the ear drum and the inner ear, including a duct known as the Eustachian tube. Otitis media is very common in childhood, with the average toddler having two to three episodes a year, almost always accompanied by the common cold. The rhinoviruses (nose viruses) that cause the common cold infect the Eustachian tube that goes from the back of the nose to the middle ear, causing swelling and compromise of pressure equalization, which is one of the normal function of the tube. The other main function is the lateral drainage of fluids from tissues on either side of the skull
2. Perforation of the ear drum
Perforated eardrum is a rip or perforation (hole) in the eardrum. It can occur due to an infection, trauma (by trying to clean the ear with sharp instruments), explosion, loud noise or an accidental surgical mistake. Flying with a severe cold can also cause perforation due to changes in air pressure and blocked Eustachian tubes. The perforation may heal in a few weeks, or up to a few months. Some perforations require intervention – this may be a simple procedure which uses a paper patch to promote healing, or surgery. In some cases the damage is unable to heal naturally and may require surgical attention.
3. Fixation or dissociation of the ossicular chain (the bones in the middle ear)
Ossicular chain dislocation may happen due to a fracture, tympanic membrane perforation, or trauma. The most common presentation of ossicular discontinuity is separation of several joints. Ossicular fixation may occur several months after the temporal bone fracture if exuberant growth of new bone at the fracture line fuses the ossicular chain. Treatment in any case is middle ear exploration and ossicular chain reconstruction.
4. Cholesteatoma (a pocket of the eardrum growing in the middle ear as a result of chronic ear infections)
Cholesteatoma is a destructive and expanding keratinizing squamous epithelium in the middle ear and there are two types: congenital and acquired. Acquired cholesteatomas is the more common and can be caused by a tear or retraction of the ear drum. Sometimes the disease may be congenital, when it grows from birth behind the eardrum.
5. Glomus tumor (a vascular tumor arising in the middle ear space)
A glomus tumor is a rare benign neoplasm, is a specialized arteriovenous anastomosis usually found in the skin of the extremities, arising from the glomus body. Research has indicated that there are at least four genetic mutations that lead to a glomus tumor. If there is no underlying inherited condition, then the tumor is considered “sporadic” or random. They are usually solitary and small, and can be found under the fingernail, but they can also be found on the tympanic membrane, which in turn causes middle ear damage and tinnitus. These lumps are often painful and tend to have a bluish discoloration, although sometimes they can present as white.
The TinnitusDX formula provides a highly effective and fully comprehensive synergistic blend of vitamin and mineral supplements, combined with carefully matched homeopathic medicines to create a one-of-a-kind type treatment for any and all symptoms of tinnitus. 
What makes this tinnitus formula so extraordinary is that it is designed to address nearly all the possible causes of the tinnitus symptoms while also being mindful of what type of treatment any individual’s body could respond to best. The makers of this tinnitus formula believe, due to a substantial amount of peer-reviewed research, that the tinnitus symptoms are multi-causal – in other words, they rarely stem from just one root cause. Any combination of physical trauma, lifestyle choices and certain disorders can be the true cause of your tinnitus symptoms. The TinnitusDX formula is literally able to treat nearly every single cause, without competing with itself, or damaging your body. And as a bonus as the symptoms begin to wane, it is very likely that your general well-being will be increasing along. After all, this unique tinnitus therapy is designed to treat vitamin deficiencies, metabolic disorders, toxicity of the body, some traumas and even the effects of aging, and all of this is done without the use of dangerous and potentially addictive drugs.
On a weekly basis we will discuss an ingredient of this tinnitus relief formula, where you will be able to see what laboratory research has been saying not only about the effects of the element on tinnitus symptoms but also find out exactly why it may be so helpful.
We will begin with the vitamin A, a necessary component of a healthy diet which can be found in most
green vegetables like kale and broccoli and some yellow/orange fruit like apricots and mango. Vitamin A is extremely important for the health of one’s vision, skin, bones, heart, the immune system and the body’s antioxidant activity to name a few.
It’s importance in tinnitus is multileveled, vitamin A is firstly involved in the growth and repair of epithelial cells, which form the stomach lining, the glands and various bodily tissues as well as the production of membranes of the myelin sheath, which coat the nerves and allow for correct conduction of message. Without healthy epithelial cells tinnitus can be caused either by malabsorption in the stomach, poor gland secretion and a number of other causes which will be discussed in a separate article. The healthy myelin coating is necessary for the correct conduction of neural signals and messages, including those involved in hearing. A vitamin A deficiency can easily be a reason for emerging tinnitus symptoms.
Dr. Shambaugh, the son of the founder of the American Board of Otolaryngology had said “all special sensory receptor cells, including the retina of the eye and the hair cells of the inner ear, depend upon vitamin A … to function properly. He also noted that Vitamin A is found in high concentrations in the cochlea. Certain studies showed that people who are exposed to a lot of noise and have symptoms of tinnitus show much lower levels of vitamin A than individuals with no hearing concerns. This means that tinnitus can be caused by a vitamin A deficiency but also that this deficiency could be caused by high levels of noise in one’s environment.
Studies about vitamin A and tinnitus symptoms say that
A dose of vitamin A was administered to 30 patients with progressive hearing loss, twice a week for a period of six weeks. The patients who responded positively received further treatment during 22 more weeks, or as long as it took to achieve the maximum gain in hearing ability. In the first six weeks 83% of the patients responded positively to the Vitamin A treatments. Participants reported that both conductive and perceptive hearing loss improved. Individuals with dysfunctions in the conductive system including otosclerosis responded more swiftly when compared to individuals without such disorders. Of the 30 participants 23 also suffered from tinnitus, and 17 (74%) reported an improvement of their tinnitus. Dramatic improvement of tinnitus was noted in 15 patients.
Lobel M. J. Clinical studies with parenteral vitamin A therapy in deafness: preliminary report Eye Ear Nose Throat Mon. 1949 May;28(5):213-9
Vitamin A was used in a study of endogenous inner ear hearing loss, presbyacusis, Meniere’s disease and in acoustic neuroma. The group consisted of 103 participants. Results showed some improvement in pure-tone hearing. An improvement of 38% was noted in pure-tone hearing and 39% improvement was noted in speech perception. Accompanying tinnitus also benefited from the Vitamin A therapy. Tinnitus perception was reduced by an average of 39%, and 27% of the participants reported a total disappearance of all tinnitus symptoms. Thus vitamin A may be recommended as a treatment for the treatment of inner ear hearing loss and tinnitus.
Nager G. Results of vitamin A (Arovit-Roche) therapy of inner ear hearing disorders and tinnitus. Pract Otorhinolaryngol (Basel). 1952;14(3):129-57.
